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fr G) DANIEL H. SHIRLEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 88,522, dated March h30, 1,869.

PIAN O-FORTE ACTION.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the lama.

To all persons to whoin these presents may come:

Be it known that I, DANIEL H. SHIRLEY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Forte Actions and that the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specification of the same, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of my said improvements in piano-forte actions, by which my invention may be distinguished from all others of a similar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to rue by Letters Patent.

. The present invention relates more particularly tothe .piano-forte action embraced in Letters Patent granted to me on the 28th day of November, A. D. 1854, and reissued the 21st day of October, A. D. 1856.

And under this invention, the arms and lifting-block referred to in the aforesaid Letters Patent as arranged and disposed between the arm hinged to key-lever and carrying back-catch, and the hammer-stem or arm, are dispensed with; and in lieu thereof, to the said back! catch anni is rigidly xed an upright frame, by and through which Vthe connection of the key-leverwith the hammer-stem is formed, the said frame being constructed in a novel and peculiar manner, for adjustment or regulation.

And in addition to the above, under this inveut'ion, the hammer-stem or arm, by a properly-constructed but, disposed between the hammer-head and fulcru'mpoint of its stem or arm, is arranged tobear directly upon the said upright frame, rigidly secured to the armcarrying back-catch, for operation as and in a manner to be hereinafter particulary described.

Also, under this invention, the said back-catch arm is provided with an adjustable cushion near its rear end, between the back-catch and the fulcrum-point of the arm, as and for a purpose to be hereinafter ex plained.

In the accompanying plate of drawings, the improvements in piano-forte actions herein above recited, as well/as others, which, in connection with them, will be hereinafter explained in detail, are shown the two fignres marked 1 and 2, being side elevations of the same, but with the back-catch arm in the latter figure shown as provided with an arm similar to that employed with the jack in the well-known French and Pleyel actions, so called, for regulating the height of such jack from the key-lever.

A, in the drawings, represents a key-lever, similar to any employed in piano-fortes, and

B, its fulcrum-pin. p

C, the end of the key-lever A at which the finger is applied, and

D, the end on which is arranged and fixed the mechanical parts for causing the hamrur-nhead E of the action to strike a string or other proper' sound-prodncble ily-bar or strip L, fixed in the upper side of arm G,

at its end, near to the key-lever post F.

M, a screw-rod, passing from front side of y L loosely, through the same, to the post K. into which it screws.

N and O, nuts on said rod, the one on the outside, and the other on the inside of ily L.

This fly L extends upward, and has its upper end I P bevelled oi upon its rear side.

On the upper end to the ily I rests the stem or arm Q of the hammer-head E, through a but-piece, It, suitably covered with leather or cloth, to prevent noise, 86o.

This but-piece is applied to the hammer-stern or arm Q, near the fulcrurn-point S of the said arm, in the flange T, secured by a screw, U, to a rail, V, and it is constructed with its under side, W, dat, anda slightly, rounded corner at its front end X, for the said fly to pass off therefrom in the operation ofthe action.

With the relative arrangement and construction of parts above described, when the key-lever is depressed at its ingerend, the hammer is thrown up, and thus impelled against the string or other sound-producing device in' connection with which it is used, when the y to the upright-frame J, escaping from the but R, the hammer falls, and is caught by the back-catch, which prevents it from rebounding, and is made ready for another blow upon the string, 85o., when the finger is relieved from the key, which affords an opportunity for the said y to pass into position therefor, under the but of the hammer-stern or arm.

By the screw-rod M, with its two nuts, N and O, the position of the ly under the hammer-stem but, and its escape therefrom 4at the proper time, in the operation of the parts composing the present improved action, can be regulated and adjusted, as is obvious.

In connection with the operation of the action, as above described, it may be well to here observe that as the rear end of the key-lever moves upward by the depression of its finger-end, itis obvious that the backcatch arm and frame move, up with it, raising the hammer-head, and irnpelling it against the string, when the fly, passing from the but over its corner X, the back-catch is thus lifted and brought into position for catching the hammer-head as it falls.

It will thus be seen, that inthe operation of the parts composing the. action,'as the fly ofthe jack is passing along under the hammer-but toward its corner or end X, to escape, the hammer-but is swinging toward it which is in a contrary direction to the motion or swing of an under-hammer, so called, of a piano-fortc act-ion in reference to the movement of the fly, whereby, as is obvious, the greatestamount of power is enabled to be produced by the action.

And in addition to the advantage above named, as secured by my action, there are others, among which may be here mentioned a-s the most important and prominent, that a perfect repeat of a note can be secured, and that also the action is the lightest when the key is first struck, as the leverage on the hammer is then the longest, and continues to shorten as the key goes down, from the fact that the motion of the fly is toward the fulcrum-point of the hammer-but.

In the construction of an action according to the improvements` above described, itis best to have thc surface of the but, overwhich the fly to the action travels, as near on a line drawn between the i'nlcruni of the hammer-stem and the centre of the stem where it enters the ham mer-head as possible, as by such means a lumpy feeling is prevented, and a i'recr and easier movementsecured.

Z, a screw-rod, screwing through upper end of' keypost F; and

A2, a washer ou said rod Z, in position to bear against the thin part B'l of ily L.

By means of this screw, if properly adjusted, the ily can be facilitated in takiugits position under the hammer-stem but, after its escape therefrom.

G2, a stem, xed in back-catch arm, near its rear end; and 4 D2, a cushion, screwed ou the upper end of same, and in a position under the hammer-stem. This cushion is provided for the hammer-'stem in case the back-catch should fail to act upon the hammer-head.

1n g. 2, my improved action is shown as provided with an arm, marked El, similar to that of the jack in a French and Pleyel action, for the purpose-of raising and lowering the fiy upon the key-lever by changing the height of its fnlcrum-point thereon.

'lhe use' of the arm E2, however, constitutes no part ofthis invention, but in the manufacture ot' the action, it is deemed best to employ it.

By the thin part B2 to iiy L, the fly is rendered ilexible, so that its upper end can be. moved under the but R, by the turning of the screw M, which acts thereon through its mits N and O, the one inthe one direction, and the other in the other direction.

Having thus descn'bed my improvements, I shall state my claims, as follows:

XVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent, is-

1. The back-catch arm G, hinged to key-lever, and provided with an upright.V frame, J consisting of post K and fly L, wit-h adjusting-screws M, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. An arm, hinged to key-lever, and carrying backcatch, and an .upright frame, J, or its equivalent, in combina-tion with a hammer-stem, having but R, orits equivalent, when all arranged together for operation, in a manner substantially as described, and for the pur pose specified.

3. The screw-rod Z, with washer or head A, in combination with the y L of upright frame J, substan tially as described.

4. The screw M, with washers-N and 0, in combination with the fiy L, or its equivalent, lsubstantiallylas and for the purpose specified.

5. The cushion Dz, or its equivalent, applied to the back-catch arm, wh ether arranged for adj us tment'thereon or not, substantially as and for the purpose described.

D. H. SHIRLEY.

Witnesses:

ALBERT W. BROWN, ALONZO WARNER. 

